Always Alone?
by klemonademouth
Summary: Luna was alone. She didn't mind so much that she was alone at the time, since she quite liked being able to talk to Ron's gnomes alone. No, she minded that she was alone all the time. HG, RH, Lx?
1. In which Luna ponders her life

Luna was alone. She didn't mind so much that she was alone at the time, since she quite liked being able to talk to Ron's gnomes alone. No, she minded that she was alone all the time.

Hermione and Ginny were best friends, and Harry and Ron were best friends. Hermione and Ron were dating, and Harry and Ginny were dating. So she was alone.

She supposed she could talk to George, but he wasn't talking to anyone at the moment. He was sitting on the bench just up the hill from The Burrow, in front of Fred's grave, staring and not seeing.

Luna wondered vaguely if a Wrackspurt had got him, but knew somewhere deep inside that it was his twin.

A small gnome tugged at the corner of her sleeve. "Got worms?" the gnome asked, hopefully. Luna shook her head, smiling, and the gnome began to walk away.

"Wait!" she heard herself cry, and dug in her pocket, producing one long, dirty piece of string. Concentrating hard, she swished her wand and turned it into a worm. She gave it to the gnome, who leaned against her knee, happily consuming the squirming invertebrate.

"What's your name?" Luna asked the creature.

He looked at her blankly.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." She introduced herself.

The gnome giggled. "Looney?"

Unlike when all those other people had called her that, this time Luna smiled. "No," she corrected, "Luna, like the moon. My daddy named me after the Argisithian Moonslug, Lunar. It's quite beautiful. It lives on the moon."

"Looney." the gnome repeated. "We go to the moon?"

Luna sighed. "Sure."

The small creature looked happy. "Can I be Ron?"

She was startled. "Ron? Why Ron?"

He pointed to the house. "I hear humans call boy Ron. I like name Ron."

Luna smiled. "I like the name Ron, too. But I think I have a better name for you."

"What that?" the gnome asked, frowning.

"Neville." Luna whispered.

Six Months Later

"What do you do out there all the time?" Ginny asked, curiously, as Luna headed out once again to visit Neville the gnome.

"I'm visiting Neville."

Ever since her house had collapsed, and her Dad was in Saint Mungos to recover from the injuries the Death Eaters had inflicted, Luna had been staying at the Burrow. She hadn't seen the real Neville since the battle of Hogwarts had ended.

"Should you really be spending so much time with a gnome?" Ginny replied, wrinkling her nose.

"He has magic." Luna answered, weaving a long strand of seaweed through her blond hair.

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "But we have magic. You have magic."

"He has Gernumbli magic." Luna stepped outside.

Almost at once, Neville ran up to her. _"Luna Lovegood, the redhead man tried to throw me!"_

Luna smiled. Neville had gradually taught her much of the Gernumbli language, which to others sounded like a series of clicks and squeaks.

_"No worry, Neville." _Luna replied. Her Gernumbli was still a bit jerky and unfinished, but she was accomplished at speaking it. _"He commanded by the Mrs. Weasley. He means not harm."_

_"And a man visited today while you were at work."_

_"A man? What man?" _

_"He said he is a friend of yours. He wanted to speak with you, but you weren't there. The redheaded young woman of which Harry Potter is so partial was excited to see him." _Even among gnomes, Harry Potter was quite famous.

_"Ginny excited to see who? A friend of me that she know? Perhaps from Hogwarts? Who know?"_

_"He can talk in Gernumbli. He said that he would be in Diagon Alley. He told me as he left."_

Luna straightened up. _"I have go, Neville. Where Diagon Alley he be?"_

_"In Fortescue's Ice Cream. He said."_

_"Thank you, Neville. Goodbye."_

Luna patted the tiny gnome on the head and strode quickly into the house. She paused in the kitchen to throw on her hot pink robes (Hermione opened her mouth, but Ginny threw a hand over it), and then straight to the fire. She tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, then immediately stepped in.

"Diagon Alley!" she shouted, and was spun into darkness.

So practiced was Luna in the art of the Floo Network that no soot lingered on her robes. She set off down the alley in a brisk pace. Stares and whispers followed her, and not just because of her outlandish dress. She was one of Harry Potter's friends; she fought alongside him in the ministry when she was fourteen.

Nobody was sitting outside Fortescue's- probably due to the chilly November air. Luna opened the door to the shop and was instantly bathed in warmth; during the winter Fortescue's was converted to a pub.

A dark-haired man was waving at Luna over in the corner. Her hand flew to her mouth.

_"_Dean?" She whispered. She hadn't seen him since the battle.

He patted the seat next to him. "Nice to see you, Luna. So, you've come of age now?"

She smiled, "No, I've been eighteen since last month. Now, as soon as Daddy gets out of St. Mungo's, we're going to hunt Snorkaks."

"Hunt?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no, not hunt. Look for. We won't kill them."

She tapped her mug and it filled with a thick purple liquid. "So how have you been, Dean?"

He sighed and glanced down at his mug. "I've been having... tough times."

"Parvati?" Luna asked. Dean nodded. "She just doesn't seem pleased by anything."

Luna laughed softly, shaking her head. "Did you miss something important lately? Like your one-year anniversary, or her birthday?"

Dean's hand flew to his mouth. "Bloody hell-" he excused himself, "It was her birthday last Friday! Completely slipped my mind! I was too busy at St. Mungo's- your father's doing well, by the way." he added as an afterthought. "He should be able to be out soon."

Dean shook his head. "I can't believe myself." He took another sip of tea. "How's Neville?"

For a split second, Luna thought he was talking about the gnome Neville. Then she realized that he didn't even know that Neville was that gnome's name.

"I haven't seen him since the battle of Hogwarts, over a year ago." She confessed. His brow furrowed. "Really. I was under the impression that you two were together."

She shook her head, smiling. "No, just really good friends. Best friends. I've no idea where he is now, though."

"Hmm." Dean frowned and gulped the last dregs of his tea. "Odd. I always reckoned you two would end up together." He stood up. "Well, I've got to be getting back to St. Mungo's."

Luna stood as well. With a light tap she transfigured the strand of seaweed in her hair into a plaid cap with a "Save the Krumple-horned Snorckak" badge pinned on the front, which she tucked her very conspicuous bright blond hair into. Dean smiled at this, but made no comment. Luna threw her arms around him. "Goodbye, old friend. I'll take you out to search for Krumple-horned Snorckaks when Daddy gets better."

Dean patted her head. "Of course, Luna." He released her, then spun and disappeared with a loud crack. Luna smiled to herself, then disapparated as well.

Ginny was cooking in the Burrow's kitchen, humming a bouncy little tune. The reason for her happiness was none other than a certain black-haired green-eyed nineteen-year-old, who she was getting on quite well with.

Crack.

It startled her so much that she dropped the pot of boiling water on the floor. She swore loudly, then reached for her wand to clean it up.

"Scourgify." said a voice behind her, and the water was siphoned away.

Ginny turned. "Thanks, Luna. You startled me."

"I'm sorry." Luna threw off her pink traveling cloak. She draped it over the back of the chair, then went to help Ginny.

"Oh, I don't need anything here, Luna. But-" she bit her lip, thinking. "Would you terribly mind putting in that load of laundry?" She pointed her chin towards the basket sitting just outside the laundry room door. "I've been so busy lately- and Hermione is up in Ron's room, there's no way I can drag them apart."

"And Harry?" Luna asked, smiling as she picked up the basket.

"He should be home shortly." Ginny replied, her anxious eyes drifting unconsciously towards the famous Weasley clock. She snapped back to Luna. "He's got an interview at the Ministry."

"Where's your mum and dad, and George?" Luna asked, calling over the thrum of the old washing machine.

Ginny appeared in the doorway to the room, drying her hands with a yellowing dish towel. "Mum and Dad are talking about moving out; they say this house is too big for just them. They wanted to see if we- that is, Me, Hermione, Ron, Harry, you, George, and anybody else- would want it. I said we would, so now they're out looking at smaller, cheaper houses. And George is up visiting Fred's grave." Ginny's eyes clouded over. "You can join him, if you like."

Luna shook her head. "I never knew him like you did. I'd be disrupting."

"No." Ginny smiled sadly. "He'd enjoy the company."

"Well, if you think so." Luna replied. "I- I guess I'll go, then."

"Tell Fred... Tell Fred I say hi." Ginny replied unsteadily. Luna noticed that her hand was shaking on the pot handle.

"Of course." Luna replied kindly, disappearing through the door.

A bit of a hike later, Luna reached the top of the hill, where a bench, a grave, and a redheaded man sat. She wondered how he could stay here for so long- the cold was unbearable. She quietly walked toward him and slid onto the frosted bench.

George turned to look at her with unseeing eyes.

She rubbed his back. "Fred." she addressed the sky, rather than the grave. "I didn't know you as well as everyone else, but I wanted to let you know that I thought you were amazing. And I hope you're somewhere up on the moon, singing with all the Lunar Moonslugs. And Ginny wanted to say hi." she fell silent.

Then George spoke, for the first time in over a year. "Thanks, Luna."

"George." She tried to speak kindly. "Do you want to come back to the house?"

He shook his head.

"George, Fred wouldn't want you to be like this. Please. You're going to freeze out here."

"Maybe I want to freeze." George mumbled. Luna shook her head disbelievingly. "No, George. C'mon. Let me take you back."

Strangely, George let Luna help him down the hill towards the burrow. Luna had been staying in Fred and George's old room, because Mrs. Weasley had thought it'd be better for George if he didn't have to see the other empty bed.

"Let's get you to your room." Luna murmured. George looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "_My _room?"

Luna didn't bother correcting him. "Of course, George." She'd been careful to make sure she didn't accidentally call him Fred.

She lead him up the stairs of the Burrow to her room. She'd been staying in Fred's bed- she didn't think it was creepy at all, and it'd made her feel closer to him. She laid him down in his bed and shut the door after him.

Harry was down in the kitchen with Ginny when Luna got down there. They sprang apart as she entered the room, yet Luna had the feeling they'd been kissing.

"How is he?" Harry asked, touching her arm.

"He's asleep." Luna replied, throwing herself down on the couch to grab a copy of the Quibbler.

"Good." Ginny shook her head. "He hasn't been getting enough sleep."

Hermione walked, a bit unsteadily, into the kitchen. Her long hair was tied up into a loose bun at the back of her head and her eyes were bright.

"Having fun with Ron?" Ginny smirked.

"Oh, do shut up." Hermione retorted, sitting down primly next to Luna.

"Honestly, what type of brain damage did you suffer?" Ginny asked her. "Who in heaven's name would want to go out with him, let alone snog him?"

"He's a very good kisser, for your-" Hermione stopped, her face beetroot red. "Never you mind."

Harry sniggered, and Hermione shot him her most ferocious look.

"Well, where is Mr. Heart-break Weasley, then?" Ginny encountered.

"He's upstairs, fixing a poster that fell down."

Ron appeared on the steps a few minutes later, and, ignoring Harry, Ginny, and Luna, flew straight to Hermione. He sat next to her and put an arm around her. After a few seconds of staring at her like it was the first time he'd seen her in a year, he turned to look at Ginny and Harry, who were trying their best not to laugh.

"What's for dinner?"

"Honestly, Ronald, that's all you think about." Ginny retorted, turning to stir a pot of soup.

"No." Ron countered, "I think about Hermione much more."

Hermione's face, if possible, was even more red. Now Harry and Ginny couldn't hold in the laughter, and simply exploded in it.

"What?" Ron asked, his face furrowing angrily. Luna began to laugh, as well, putting down her copy of the Quibbler.

"Soup's done." Ginny gasped between giggles. "Hang on, I'll serve." She waved her wand, and six wooden bowls flew out of the cabinet. They landed neatly on the countertop, and, with another wave of her wand, a stream of soup shot to each bowl and filled them to the top. A tray flew out of the cabinet and one of the bowls rested on it.

"Would someone please bring this up to George?" Ginny asked. Hermione volunteered. Luna watched as she disappeared up the stairs, then picked up one of the bowls and brought it into the dining room. The rest followed suit, Ron balancing two: his and Hermione's.

A sharp rap on the door sounded. Luna leapt up. "I'll get it. I expect it's the bunch of Gurdyroots I've ordered." She didn't miss the look Ron gave Harry as she left the room.

She paused at the door. "Password?"

"Dumbledore's army." A very familiar voice answered.

Luna gasped and swung the door open. "Neville?"


	2. In which Luna gets something unexpected

"Hi, Luna." Neville replied, smiling. He'd grown taller since he was seventeen. _Well, yeah_. Luna had to remind herself, _He's nineteen now. _"Can I come in?"

"Sure." she said through numb lips, stepping aside.

"I don't get a hug?" He asked, spreading his arms out. Luna permitted a brief smile before stumbling forward into his outstretched arms. She found that she was completely comfortable there.

"I missed you." She murmured. "You were my best friend."

"I hope I still am." he squeezed her more tightly, then released her. He stepped back to take a look at her.

"You look good."

"So do you." She smiled. "What have you been up to for the past two years?"

He grinned slightly. "Working at the ministry. Making my gran proud. Doing stuff I don't want to do. But now, I've decided to chase after my own heart."

He looked Luna directly in the eye as he said this. For some reason, a shiver ran up her spine. "Starting with...?"

"Finding you, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Well, you first."

_First._Nobody had ever sought her first.

"They're all here."

"Yes, I know. I went to your house, but it was in repair. What happened?"

Luna quickly explained the accident with the Crumple-horned Snorkack horn, and Neville grinned and shook his head. "The workmen said that your dad was in St. Mungo's, and you were here. So Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are here, as well?"

"Yes, and George too."

Neville unexpectedly hugged her again. "I've missed you all so much." He stepped back again. "I heard about Fred."

Luna tried to smile. "He's up, singing on the moon with the Lunars now."

Neville smiled, too. "Lunar. That's that moonslug."

Luna's smile was real this time. "You remembered!"

"Luna?" Ginny called. "Who was at the door?"

Ginny came into the room, closely followed by Harry. Ginny screamed, causing Ron to fall out of his chair. Harry ran forward to hug Neville. "Good to see you back here, mate!"

Ron came in, too. "Neville! Where have you been?" Ginny hugged him, and once Hermione came back, with George, they all sat down in the living room.

Luna summoned their bowls of soup with her wand. She filled another one for Neville, and they all tried to squeeze in somewhere. Ginny was sitting on Harry's lap in one of the armchairs, Ron, Hermione, and George took the sofa, and Neville and Luna sat on the loveseat.

They all sat and listened as Neville told them his story.

"Gran wanted me to be an auror after the war. So, to please her, I worked a year and a half in the office. I didn't enjoy it much; I liked working against Lord Voldemort, but I think I'd rather work in Hogwarts. So I put my foot down. I told gran, I didn't want to follow her dreams any more. I wanted to follow my own. And she said she'd been praying for the last six months that I'd have the courage to tell her so."

"So she knew?" Ron interrupted. Neville gave a dry laugh. "Oh yes, she knew."

Luna smiled and leaned her head against her best friend's shoulder. It felt so good, so right, to have him back here.

"You can always stay here, mate, for as long as you want." Harry offered.

Neville sighed in relief. "That would be great."

"I've moved rooms." Luna spoke up. "I thought George-"

"I'm going back to the shop."

Everyone gaped at George. "No, no, you can't!" Ginny said, standing up. Harry pulled her back down.

George shook his head. "I've spent too much time moping. I'm going to stay here tonight, long enough to pack my bags, and then I'm going to stay at the flat above she shop."

"Luna." Hermione said, hesitantly. "We really haven't many rooms... would you and Neville mind sharing a room?"

Luna smiled happily. Some time to catch up with Neville! "Not at all." she grinned. "I can show him my collection of Fermius Frigingley Fireplants."

"They're Mestropolis Platnaroots." Hermione whispered to Neville.

"Why don't you show Neville his room?" Ginny suggested. "He can get settled. Speaking of, Luna, have you seen Neville the gnome lately?"

"I haven't been able to talk to him." Luna confessed.

"There was a gnome poking around in the garden this morning. He kept on mumbling 'Looney' so I supposed he was looking for you."

"Thanks." Luna smiled at Ginny. "I'll just get Neville settled then go looking for him."

She flicked on the light at the end of the stairs and lead Neville up three flights.

"Neville the gnome?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, yes." Luna replied as she opened the door. " It seemed like a suitable name for him."

Neville began laughing and pulled her into another unexpected hug. "I've missed you, Luna."

This time, Luna felt something odd, like somebody had dropped a frozen gurdyroot down the back of her shirt. "I've missed you, too." she managed to gasp. She pointed to the right bed and faintly flew down the stairs, ignoring the surprised looks from Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and George.

She collapsed in the garden underneath the willow tree; the one that the Twin's old bedroom overlooked. A scurry in the bushes caught her eye and she looked. Neville crawled out a moment later. "_Luna Lovegood?"_

_"Yes."_she answered, wiping her slightly running nose on her sleeve.

_"Are you all right?" _he asked, gouging her expression.

_"I'm fine." _she replied, a defiant tone in her voice.

_"I see." _

_"My best friend, Neville, come back. You want to meet him?"_ Luna asked. Neville nodded enthusiastically. "Neville!" Luna hollered as loud as she could. She had no idea why she was so annoying sometimes. Usually it was because of the look on Hermione's face when she acted so. Luna could just picture Hermione inside the house, wincing and holding her ears.

Neville was outside in seconds. "Yes?"

Luna couldn't keep the grin off her face from seeing him. "Hi."

He looked jubilantly annoyed. "Is that it?"

Luna laughed. "No. Guess."

"You have a gnome named after me and you wanted me to meet him."

Luna's mouth dropped open. "How did you know that?"

Neville pointed up. "My window is right above you. I could hear every word you said. And you told me that you named a gnome after me."

Neville the gnome was gone. Perhaps he had gotten bored with the proceedings, or spotted a particularly delectable-looking worm. Either way, he wasn't there anymore.

She leaned against Neville, overwhelmed with his return. "I love you." she murmured.

He stiffened. "What?"

"You're my best friend. I love you. I love you, I love Ginny, I love Hermione, I love Harry, I love Ron. I love all of you."

He relaxed. "I love you, too."

Something strange happened to her when he said that. Her brain went all fuzzy and she lost focus looking at his innocent, clear gray eyes.

"Neville, we have to move, a Wrackspurt just got my brain for a second." she said, pulling his arm. "I want to show you something."

He obligingly held his arm out and she gripped it tightly. He gasped when she turned on the spot and apparated with a loud crack.

xoxoxoxoxo

"Professor?" Luna asked, timidly. She still hadn't become accustomed to calling Professor McGonagall by her first name.

"Please, call me Minerva." Professor McGonagall said easily, pouring each of them a cup of tea.

"Well, I heard you were looking for a Herbology teacher and-"

"You think Mr. Longbottom would be quite suited for the job."

"Oh, yes." Luna said, earnestly. "I do think so. He had an O on everything he ever did in that class, you see."

"Yes, I do remember him getting outstanding remarks in every aspect of Herbology through the years." McGonagall peered at Neville, who was sipping his tea very comfortably, over the top of her spectacles. "And does Mr. Longbottom think that he would prefer this job?"

"I do like working with other children." Neville considered it. "But don't you reckon- think, sorry, professor, that I'd be too young?"

"You have graduated school with a N.E.W.T in Herbology, and you have an uncanny knack for understanding students, so, yes, I do believe you'd be fine."

"Then I'd like it." Neville smiled.

Luna leaped up, quite startling both Professor McGonagall and Neville, and upsetting her cup of tea, to hug Neville. "Oh, wonderful, wonderful!"

Neville patted her on the back, quite unnerved. "Why don't we walk in the gardens to talk?" he suggested.

Luna shook her head. "No, there are too many Wrackspurts floating around in gardens. Let's walk around the lake."

McGonagall stood up as they left the class room. "We will see you on September first, Professor Longbottom."

"Thank you, Minerva." Neville replied.

"Yes, thank you, P- Minerva." Luna said, slipping her arm into Neville's, who looked surprised but pleased.

"Neville, how have you truly been?" Luna asked as they headed down the staircase. "You haven't told me much."

Neville sighed. "I suppose I have to tell you the entire thing."

"I expect it, yes." Luna frowned as they reached the front doors. Neville waved his wand and they opened. The pair set off at a slow pace around the grounds.

"All right, I suppose I'll start from the very beginning." He furrowed his head, thinking hard as they moved closer to the Quidditch pitch.

"I attempted to restart the Order of the Phoenix. There were still many of Voldemort's close followers loose, and quite unhappy with Harry Potter. Once they's figured out that Hermione, Ron, Ginny, me, and you had a hand in his downfall, they had decided to set out against us. I managed to gather together a few people; McGonagall was a big help. We got back into Number 12, Grimmauld Place, and I sent myself up to get Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix's husband, you know. Well, he put up quite a nasty fight, but in the end, we got him into Azkaban. And of course, there was a lot of work to be doing after the war. Rounding up Dementors, restoring order, healing the injured, burying the dead."

"I knew nothing of this, neither did the rest, we could have helped-" Luna began, but Neville placed one finger on her lips. She fell silent.

"No, you couldn't. We kept you there for a reason. Harry Potter would be much better protected with you four. Well, seven, if you count George and Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. But the cleaning up wasn't the hard part.

"Not long afterwards, I sent myself into the mountains, alone. The giants who had survived, and there weren't many, had to be warned of the downfall of Voldemort, in case they tried to once more wreak havoc on the land. I would have taken Hagrid, of course, but I was not sure how his reception would be, given his last visit to the Giant's land, and he was on his honeymoon." Neville's face twitched.

"But I managed to get there, fine. There were probably only about fifteen giants left- the rest had been taken care of by either the Acromantulas, or Grawp, or wizards and witches. I stayed in a mountain to the left, plotting ways to approach their camp."

Luna let out a little squeak, but made herself be quiet as Neville glanced at her. He wove his hand tightly into hers, and she leaned against him, letting herself fall into the story. She could almost see him camping out in a cave in the mountain, clamboring over rocks, dirt and sweat sticking his hair to his forehead.

"I had no need to worry, however. When I first arrived, I realized that they were in no order to fight against me. Their clan had fallen apart. It was thirteen females and two males, and one of the males was very, very sick. The other was as gentle as a giant can be, and instead of killing the other male, nursed it. Perhaps he realized that the giant population was dying out.

"I spoke to them carefully. The sick one was able to translate, and he repeated what I told them. I said that I was here in the memory of Albus Dumbledore, and that he had passed away. A few seemed to understand the loss. I also told them that the Wizard called Lord Voldemort had passed away, and that the cause of this was a greater, good wizard by the name of Harry Potter had come.

"They seemed pleased by this. I told them Harry Potter was a friend of mine, and that if they pleased, the giants may roam any mountains in the area. I told them that we were all for United Creatures Rights. They seemed to take a liking to me. They told the translator to ask me to stay, and they berated me with questions, about life after the war, about Harry Potter, and about..." he hesitated, then seemed to decide to tell the truth. "And about you, Luna."

Luna shook her head. She'd been so caught up in his story, it felt strange coming back to the real world. "About me? How would they know about me?"

Neville made a strange motion with his hand. "Oh, you know, stories get back to the mountains. But they mostly knew about you because I used your name often. They loved hearing about you. About the girl I lo- love to have as a best friend." he stammered.

She tugged him down to the ground beneath the willow tree. "Well, why me? Why not Hermione, or Ginny, or Harry or Ron?"

"Because I-" He stopped. "Because I love you."

"Thanks." she snuggled into his side. "I love you, too, Neville. But honestly, what is the reason?"

"That is it. I love you."

And suddenly, Luna grasped the concept of his words. Her head started ringing, her mouth felt dry, and the ground seemed very far away. She could blame this on a Wrackspurt, but to be honest with herself, she knew this wasn't it. Besides, Wrackspurt's didn't much like water.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" she asked faintly, pulling a bit looser from his grasp. He wouldn't let her.

"I'll show you." He said softly, leaning towards her, pulling her chin towards his with his hand. She had just the time to wonder where on earth all this confidence had come from before he kissed her.

Luna had never been kissed before.

She realized this as he held her, and as the prickle of heat spread up her spine. Never had a boy held her like this. She'd never even had a boyfriend. And before Neville, nobody had ever told her they loved her. Not even her father, although she supposed he meant well.

Her eyes were open, she realized next. She shut them quickly, and moved her arms awkwardly so they were draped on his neck. They felt like a million pounds, she thought, but her head felt like it was floating. She hadn't quite decided whether it was a good feeling or not.

But he was kissing her.

He broke the kiss just as Luna realized she was running out of air. She stared at him, and he looked straight back with his gray-blue eyes, and nobody had looked at her like that before. Nobody had looked at her like they wanted her so much it hurt, like they needed her to live, like they... like they _loved _her.

"That's what I mean by that." Neville said, breathless.

And Luna realized a third thing.

She had really, undeniably, liked that kiss.

A/N: oooooh cliffie! Yes, she liked it! I've always loved LunaxNeville, I don't care that JKR said that Neville never gets married and Luna marries that Rolf guy, can't she see that they're perfect together? You know, I used to think JKR was a guy... okay, now I'm getting off topic. Review!


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